Rookie watch: Connor learning what it takes to remain with Jets

Left wing Kyle Connor understands the importance of being a puck hound to remain a fixture in the lineup for the Winnipeg Jets.
It's a process that most young players need to experience early in their career, particularly those having the credentials of Connor, who was chosen with the No. 17 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft.
"I wasn't really sure what to expect but it's a tough road to get to and stay in the NHL," Connor said. "I went into it with an open mind, but nothing can prepare you until you experience it for yourself."

Connor (6-foot-1, 182 pounds) had five points (two goals, three assists) and a minus-7 rating in 20 games with the Jets last season before being returned to Manitoba of the American Hockey League. He thrived his first AHL season, scoring 44 points (25 goals, 19 assists) in 52 games.
"They wanted me to work on my game, win 1-on-1 battles in the offensive and defensive zone, compete, and be on that puck and more engaged in those battles," Connor said.
Connor led the nation with 71 points (35 goals, 36 assists) in 38 games as a freshman at the University of Michigan in 2015-16. He was named a first team All-American, the Big Ten Player of the Year and Big Ten Freshman of the Year, and was the first freshman in NCAA Division I college hockey to score 30 goals in a season since Thomas Vanek with Minnesota in 2002-03.

Offensive chances weren't as bountiful for him in the NHL at the outset.
"When you have 70 points in college, the expectation is you're going to take that next step and do it at the next level," right wing Blake Wheeler said. "I think he's just playing with a lot of confidence right now."
Connor, 20, got his chance this season when recalled from Manitoba on Oct. 16, and he hasn't missed a beat on a line with center Mark Scheifele and Wheeler, the Jets captain.
"He's continuing to play the right way, continuing to go to the right spots," Scheifele said. "The thing for him is doing the right things over and over. It's a tough league; not every night is going to go the way you want it to. He's in the right spots in the D-zone and knows the areas to go to when there's a scoring chance."
Connor, who missed Winnipeg's game against the Ottawa Senators on Sunday and is day to day with an undisclosed injury, has 17 points (nine goals, eight assists), a plus-1 rating and 50 shots on goal while averaging 17:50 in ice time in 21 games. He has 2.72 points and 1.44 goals per 60 minutes. Connor had an NHL career-high three points (goal, two assists) in a 7-2 win against the Minnesota Wild on Nov. 27.

"Young guys with Connor's high-end skill normally come in with a perimeter game and can let most of the other people do the heavy lifting and dirty work," Jets coach Paul Maurice said. "Where he's improved most is in the grind part of the game, getting in on the forecheck with his speed and containing pucks.
"He could always skate and shoot really well, but his improvement was getting a little stronger in the offseason and understanding what it meant to be on the puck."
Connor was No. 13 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters for the 2015 draft and was projected to be a skilled forward just below elite status and with first-line potential. He received excellent marks in six categories: acceleration, speed, stickhandling ability, passing, playmaking, and leadership.
"Kyle plays a game at a very high pace and can do everything at top speed," said David Gregory of NHL Central Scouting. "He thinks the game very well and can create opportunities that others don't recognize. These assets combined with his high-end puck skill make him destined for stardom in the NHL with the way our game is trending."

Rookies on the rise

Nico Hischier, C, New Jersey Devils (2017 draft, No. 1):The 6-foot-1, 175-pound left-shot forward has 18 points (five goals, 13 assists) and 56 shots on goal while averaging 16:14 of ice time in 26 games. Hischier, 18, ranks fourth among rookies with 17 takeaways and third with 97 face-off wins as the Devils' No. 1 center.
Mark Jankowski, C, Calgary Flames (2012 draft, No. 21): Recalled from Stockton of the AHL on Oct. 23, he scored two goals and had six shots on goal in 15:23 of ice time in a 3-0 win against the Arizona Coyotes on Nov. 30. Jankowski (6-4, 202), 23, has seven points (five goals, two assists) in 18 games.
Danton Heinen, C, Boston Bruins (2014 draft, No. 26): Heinen (6-1, 185), 22, proved to be an admirable fill-in when Brad Marchand missed six games with an undisclosed injury. He has 12 points (four goals, eight assists) and 33 shots on goal in 20 games.